In a passionate address to the media on Wednesday afternoon, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has forcefully defended the authority and independence of the legislative branch amid growing tensions with the judiciary and executive.
Speaking before members of parliament the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC), Speaker Bagbin warned that recent actions by President Akufo-Addo and the Supreme Court pose a “direct challenge to the essence jurisdiction, authority, powers and functioning of the esteemed institution of Parliament.”
He argued that the judiciary and executive appear to be “colluding and weakening” the legislative branch, which he described as “the repository of the sovereign will of the people of God.”
Bagbin highlighted how the 2020 election results, which produced an evenly divided parliament, reflected the Ghanaian voters’ preference for “inclusivity, collaboration, consensus building” over a “Winner Takes All government.” As the first Speaker to preside over a hung parliament, Bagbin said he has had to work to balance the national interest against partisan politics.
The Speaker was critical of members of parliament who have turned to the courts to settle political disputes, arguing that such actions “weaken” the legislature. He asserted that the current case before the Supreme Court should be resolved through “matured deliberations and compromises” within parliament itself.
Bagbin also took issue with the President’s refusal to assent to the LGBTQ+ bill passed by parliament, as well as the judiciary’s willingness to intervene in parliamentary proceedings. He called on the Supreme Court to apply the same “swiftness” in addressing this issue as it did in the recent case involving the vacation of four parliamentary seats.
Emphasizing the supremacy of the constitution, Speaker Bagbin declared, “The supremacy of the Constitution, not the supremacy of the judiciary was.” He expressed confidence that the “battles” being fought will ultimately strengthen Ghana’s democracy, while urging prayers for the President, Parliament, and the judiciary to work together in the national interest.
By Jeorge Wilson Kingson || ghananewsonline.com.gh